Pre-ordering ends the iPhone midnight madness

Stuart Corner
Friday, 14 October 2011 08:57

Your IT - Mobility

iPhone afficionados' ability to pre-order the latest model saw relatively modest queues when the unit went on sale this morning, in contrast to the huge queues for the iPhone 4 when users were able only to pre-register their interest.

At the Telstra shop in George Street Sydney, where Telstra had put on live entertainment from pop duo Gypsy & The Ca, there was a modest queue where most eager queuer had been there since 4.00 am.

At the Optus store in George Street only a handful of people were queuing at the door ahead of the 8.00 am opening. Across the road a somewhat larger crowd had gathered around the Vodafone show.

According to Optus corporate affair manager, Elizabeth Greene things were very different last year when the store opened at midnight for the iPhone 4 launch. Then the queue had stretched around the block.

For the iPhone 4 customers had only be able to register their interest ahead of the launch. However with more supply available ahead of the launch Optus, along with the other carriers, have been able to pre-sell the product.

Optus head of consumer marketing, Gavin Williams, said: "We have had tens of thousands of pre-orders and we have given our customers the option of having the handset delivered to their home or picking it up from the store of their choice. Most of our stores open at 8.00 and this morning and we have shipped stock to all our 800 stores. Unlike previous years customers have been able to get commitment to a device soon and get it their way."

Williams said Optus was now "the home of the smartphone."

On the eve of the launch telco reduced the handset cost of iPhone 4S plan pricing it had announced a week earlier: $49, $79 and $99 per month plans are unchanged but the price of handsets on the $59 plan have been reduced from $$6, $11 and $15 per month for the 16, 32 and 64GB units respectively to $0, $6 and $11.

Williams said: "with these new prices we indicating our level of aggression in Optus maintaining its position as "the home of the smartphone'¦We are playing to win in smartphone"